In "Documented," Jose Antonio Vargas testifies in front of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.

In "Documented," Jose Antonio Vargas testifies in front of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee.

Photo: Apo Anak Productions, CNN Films

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Former Washington Post journalist turned immigration reform activist Jose Antonio Vargas (right) is also an undocumented immigrant who says he loves the United States. His new film, “Documented,” aired on CNN. less

Former Washington Post journalist turned immigration reform activist Jose Antonio Vargas (right) is also an undocumented immigrant who says he loves the United States. His new film, “Documented,” aired on ... more

Photo: Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press

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FWD.us founders Mark Zuckerberg, right, and Joe Green hug Jose Antonio Vargas, center, before the screening of Vargas' documentary, "Documented," at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Monday, August 5, 2013, in San Francisco, Calif. less

FWD.us founders Mark Zuckerberg, right, and Joe Green hug Jose Antonio Vargas, center, before the screening of Vargas' documentary, "Documented," at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on Monday, August 5, ... more

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by Breitbart. less

Hundreds of undocumented immigrants, mostly from Central America, are held in U.S. Border Patrol facilities in the Rio Grande Valley along the U.S./Mexico border in late May 2014. Photos were obtained by ... more

Photo: Courtesy, Breitbart Texas

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Immigrants-rights advocate Jose Antonio Vargas briefly detained

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Jose Antonio Vargas, the former Bay Area journalist who has become a prominent advocate for unauthorized immigrants, was detained for several hours by U.S. border patrol agents Tuesday while trying to leave Texas for Los Angeles.

Filipino-born Vargas is living in the United States without legal permission and famously outed himself in 2011. The disclosure by the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter appeared in a New York Times magazine cover story and made him one of the most high-profile immigrants advocating for legal status in the country.

Vargas, who previously worked for The San Francisco Chronicle and Washington Post, was researching the child-refugee crisis along the Mexican border with his advocacy group Define American, according to the organization, when he was taken into custody Tuesday morning as he went through security at McAllen-Miller International Airport.

President Trump addresses nation after mass shooting at Florida SchoolWhite House

"Vargas has not previously been arrested by (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) nor has the agency ever issued a detainer on him or encountered him," the agency said. "ICE is focused on smart, effective immigration enforcement that prioritizes the agency's resources to promote border security and to identify and remove criminal individuals who pose a threat to public safety and national security."

Vargas came to the United States from the Philippines as a child. As a young man, he learned that he was living in the country illegally and disclosed his situation in a 2011 New York Times magazine cover story, "My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant."

Recently, he had been promoting his film "Documented." The documentary, which aired on CNN two weeks ago, profiles children brought to this country by parents who immigrated illegally.

Vargas was in the Bay Area in August for the West Coast premiere of the film, which he debuted alongside Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

In an interview last weekend with the Dallas Morning News, Vargas acknowledged that he might have difficulty traveling in Texas, where an influx of child immigrants, mostly from Central America, has overwhelmed border agents.

"Since outing myself three years ago, I've been traveling around the country for Define American and visiting 43 states. And I've been flying by using my Philippine passport - no visa in the passport, just for ID purposes. And it's been fine. TSA accepts it," he told the paper.

After his release Tuesday, Vargas made a statement through Define American: "As an unaccompanied child migrant myself, I came to McAllen, Texas, to shed a light on children who parts of America and many in the news media are actively turning their backs on. But what I saw was the generosity of the American people, documented and undocumented, in the Rio Grande Valley."